Peter Kay's Car Share: She's so Wonderful
by Golden Suze
Summary: Kayleigh has settled into her new house in Bury. John's still missing her company in the car alongside him. Starting with "Kayleigh's Birthday" to "Coming Home for Christmas", John has 6 chances to show Kayleigh he's not actually in love with his job and he is ready for love.
1. Chapter 1

**For those who haven't seen Peter Kay's Car Share tv series. It's a comedy/sitcom about a Supermarket Assistant manager John Redmond who is thrown together with Kayleigh, a Supermarket in a company car share scheme. I absolutely enjoyed the series and so I thought to try my hand at writing a few stories of my own on here for fanfiction.**

* * *

 **Peter Kay's Car Share:**

 **Kayleigh's Birthday**

The Zuton's Valerie plays loudly on Forever FM, as John is happily singing along to the song, whilst making another on his early morning traveling trips, amongst fellow car commuters along the motorway. He wasn't expected at work for another an hour and given how the motorway was thankfully less packed this morning. John soon wondered how he should spend his extra hour.

 _"And I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress. Won't you come on, stop making fool out of me. Why won't you come on over Valerie, Valerie, Valerie, Valerie!"_

"Quality song." John thought to himself.

It was actually Kayleigh's birthday today. Of course knowing her, she will no doubt, feel unafraid to let hair down as she celebrated her birthday the best she could. John already had a birthday card and a impressively small wrapped present to give to her at work. The present wasn't bought from any shops, no in fact he had bidded for it, online from eBay. It was a hat Beyonce wore on one of her recent UK tour dates. She was bound to be impressed, once she got a chance to unwrap his present. _  
_

One negative that morning was that the SatNav lady was starting to drive him around the bend as usual and a couple of minutes later. Matters were getting slightly and annoyingly out of hand, as the SatNav then tricked John into missing one of the cut off points by Matalan.

"You have reached your destination." The lady declared with such calmness.

"No I bloody I haven't love. It's your fault for getting me stuck in Asda's car park, in the first place. Trevor Warren will have a field bloody day, if he finds out I parked my car in his supermarket's car park." To tell the truth, it did feel daft and pointless having an argument with a SatNav of all things, yet John was beginning to find this ridiculously hilarious to say the least.

Once he successfully reversed his car out from the rival supermarket's car park, John's Mini was now back on the main road.

 **xxxx**

 _"Not getting what you want, from your career or family life? Then get yourself down to Blackpool Pleasure Beach and experience the best day out of your life... dooo-dee-dahh-yayy..."  
_

"Holding you closer in my arms we drift to heaven  
Bringing in the morning light  
And after all is said and done there's only us  
We can make it right  
So, our love will carry on and on  
Now our love will be free, be free.

And when we play, love don't delay, I hear you now

For what was then, is what is now, anyhow  
As I became a guest of love's tune hear again  
We'll carry on together like today." Music fades slightly into the background.

By chance John had sensibly arrived at work, with ten minutes to spare. The buff trolley bloke was busy flirting with two female customers, much to Kayleigh's clear annoyance.

"He's never going to recognize me is he, John?"

"You're not thinking of stripping off in front of him, are you? because that might well and truly get his attention. He wouldn't know what's hit him."

Kayleigh was left rather surprised by John's saucy comment. She wondered, whether he'd finally given to the recommendation, she had suggested to him, that he should give Fifty Shades of Grey a read.

"Well I can't right now, as I'd get myself sacked. Knowing Dave Thompson, no doubt he'll make sure he sacks me on the spot."

"No pissing chance, if I'm in the room. No what I'm saying is, if you really want to go for it - with Iron Man Trolley pusher over there, you should try your best in getting yourself noticed by him." John was on hand to advise her, she shouldn't consider giving up so easily.

"Well thank you Jonathan, nice to know someone's on my side." She gave him a light hug, which he secretly gave the impression of how much he was enjoying it.

"Alright but don't start going telling anyone, you've got management backing you up, otherwise I'll be out on my arse, quicker than it takes Usain Bolt to run the 100 metres."

She and John pulled away from their hug. While she was standing there, John thought to hand over her birthday card and present. Well she deserved cheering up, what with Mr Lover Boy on Trolleys gaining more female admirers and blanking her as a result of this.

"Here, seeing as it's your birthday, I thought you might as well have this now instead of later, you know before everyone off Sales, start giving you birthday cards themselves."

Kayleigh looked somewhat intrigued, by the shape and size of this particular present.

"Ooh can I shake it?" She asked, as she constantly gave the Despicable Me wrapped present, a shake.

"You can shake it like a Polaroid picture, as much as you like. Don't think you'll still be able to work out, what's inside it." John reckoned, she wouldn't be able to solve the mystery of her birthday present from him to her.

"Well we'll see about that, won't we." She looked pretty determined and on a mission to hopefully be able to wipe the smile off his face, once she guesses what John's present is.

A few HR Department staff walked past the two of them, including young Philip Turner - who had a mind like a calculator, most of the time.

"A Pudsey bear?" From nowhere, Kayleigh made her first wrong guess.

"No, not Pudsey. Think diva music..." John tried to give her an obvious clue.

"What Dolly Parton?" She guessed wrongly again.

"No Beyonce... _shit_..." John inadvertently blurted this out and soon wished he hadn't, as he had foolishly revealed that it was something to do with a Beyonce gift.

Kayleigh soon started to solve her very own mystery - the unsolved mystery of the eBay user JBizzy, who had picked up many music based bargains on there, including Beyonce CDs and a certain famous hat, from under her nose.

"You haven't you? because I tried to bid for Beyonce's hat on eBay and someone called JBizzy, only ended up outbidding me for it, three nights ago."

 _Altered Images Happy Birthday plays in the background._

 _"If they were me and I was you_  
 _Would you have liked a present too?_

 _Happy, happy birthday in a hot bath_  
 _To those nice nice nights_  
 _I remember always, always_  
 _I got such a fright_

 _Seeing them in my dark cupboard_  
 _With my great big cake_

 _If they were me_  
 _If they were me_  
 _And I was you_  
 _And I was you_  
 _If they were me_  
 _If they were me_  
 _And I was you_  
 _And I was you_

 _If they were me and I was you_  
 _Would you have liked a present too?_

 _Happy birthday, happy birthday_  
 _Happy birthday, happy birthday_  
 _Happy birthday, happy birthday_ " _Song fades slightly into the background, as Kayleigh is sharing a joke with John, after he confirmed her suspicions about him being JBizzy.  
_

 **xxxx**

John bumped into Kayleigh in the car park. "You better watch yourself Dave Thompson's on the warpath again. He's been making more enemies than James Bond today, what with the Health and Safety inspectors coming to our store next Thursday. He wants everything ship-shape and everyone on their best behaviour, me included."

"Blimey and here was me thinking, you and him always got along famously, John." She couldn't resist wondering why John and Dave weren't exactly seeing eye to eye at work, all of a sudden.

"The man's power mad now and again. Acts like that Gollum from Lord of The Rings, whenever he faces criticism. Let's just say this, you wouldn't want to find yourself stuck in a lift with him and be bored to death by his stories about his cats."

"Aww I love cats." Kayleigh smiled with delight. John expressed his usual surprised look.

"Anyway you doing anything for your birthday tonight?, you know, letting your hair down, dressed up to the nines and putting Super Ted behind you. " He quizzed her respectfully on how she planned to celebrate her birthday in style.

"I'm going for a few drinks with the girls off the Chemist department."

"You want to watch that Janet Morgan, she's a right troublemaker on nights out." He felt she deserved to know one or two things about Kayleigh's mischievous friend. _  
_

"Why have you ever attended one?" Kayleigh was now getting the impression that John was secretly hoping she might invite him along as well.

"No, but I've heard stories about her so-called legendary antics, it's a wonder she hasn't been given her own award...for Queen of Naughtiness." The Supermarket assistant manager did find this pretty surprising,

"Sounds like you're not one of her fans Jonathan." Kayleigh found it hilarious, that he didn't exactly see eye to eye with Janet.

"Too right." John expressed a look of bewilderment.

"Anyway, enjoy your night with the ladies off the Chemist department." He wished her well for the evening before driving off home.

 **xxxx**

 _"Forever FM... every second, every minute, every hour, every day of non stop hits...Stuck in a moment you can't get out..Well then try our new courses at Hyde College..."  
_

 _Kaiser Chiefs' Ruby plays on the radio,_ as John drives his car through Bury.

 _Let it never be said_  
 _The Romance is dead_  
 _'Cause there's so little else_  
 _Occupying my head_

 _There is nothing I need_  
 _except the function to breathe_  
 _But I'm not really fussed_  
 _Doesn't matter to me._

 _[Chorus:]_  
 _Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby_  
 _Do you, do you, do you, do you_  
 _Know what you're doing, doing, to me_  
 _Ruby, Ruby, Ruby, Ruby_

 _Cut to: A group of female friends coming out of nightclub, in their ridiculously high-heel shoes.  
_

"Bloody hell it's like the 1990's all over again, with these teenagers and young adults nowadays. If they're not liking One _"Overhyped"_ Direction, then they look like they've been watching too many episodes of Game of Thrones instead." John thoughtfully pondered as he observed a few revelers outside a pub, while he was stuck at the traffic lights.

Kayleigh had kindly invited him along for her birthday drinks, as she couldn't wait to see how John and Janet might get along with each other, once they found themselves stuck in the same room together. However he was running late because of some traffic accident.

Once he did manage to turn up, he found Kayleigh, who was dressed up like a Madonna tribute act and Jess Smith, the youngest employee in the Supermarket. Unfortunately nobody else had bothered to show their faces, this had quite clearly left her slightly upset.

John walked up to Jess and Kayleigh, who were sipping a Pina Colada and a Pink Grapefruit Cocktail. He looked baffled to find them both sitting on their own.

"What's happened? Where's everyone else?" He couldn't see anyone else there, who he could recognize.

"Well good evening to you Jonathan." Kayleigh half smiled.

"Apparently they went to a hen night party at the last minute instead." Jess responded to John's question.

"Cheeky bitches... _shit_... pardon my language." John couldn't believe the nerve of the ladies off the chemist department.

Both Kayleigh and Jess giggled at his comment and because of the slight embarrassed reaction he gave afterwards.

 **xxxx**

After John had cleverly rescued Kayleigh's evening with a rendition of Uptown Girl by Billy Joel and given that she couldn't possibly get the bus home alone because she was tipsy, she asked if he could give her a lift home.

"Thanks for this John." She felt grateful to him, for behaving like a saint to her and for offering her to driving her home.

"Whatever you do, don't throw up in my car. Here have this, to use as a sick bag...you know just in case, you end up being sick" John handed over a paper bag, which had a distinctive yet addictive smell inside it.

Kayleigh gave it a sniff. "Jonathan, you appear to have given me a paper bag which stinks off burnt caramel."

"So, nothing wrong with that." John shrugged his shoulders, with his eyes concentrating their looks elsewhere.

"You're a really rubbish liar." She laughed considerably to herself. He may be her friend and part of the Supermarket management, however when it came to answering a simple question, he wasn't remotely keen on giving a good answer.

 _"Forever FM playing timeless hit songs now and forever, forever and forever. This is Forever FM."_

 _"Right, this is one of the biggest hits The Eurythmics had in the 1980's and it's been dedicated to Michael Irwin, from your girlfriend Sally. Now on Forever FM the golden hits 3 hour show...it's Would I Lie to You?"_

John and Kayleigh both began belting out the 1980's classic hit to themselves, John soon felt he should own up properly and be honest with her, since the two of them had became good friends over the last few months, what with the Car Share scheme and with Kayleigh discovering Rachel had only wanted John, as part of a threesome. - Which John surprisingly didn't want to be a part of, once Kayleigh told him everything.

"Fine, you sussed me. I'm a bigger liar than Billy Liar himself. It had my nan's bloke's caramel doughnuts in, bloody pigeon took a dump in it. I forgot all about it, until you mentioned about the weird smell just now." In a way, he quite relieved to get this off his chest.

Once she listened to everything John told her, Kayleigh then proceeded to chuck the paper bag out of the car window.

"What you doin?" He expressed his surprise, at her unexpected antics.

"Disposing of the evidence. You know actually I feel a lot better since you opened the window for me, on my side of your car." She smiled to herself.

"You're a proper mischief maker you are." John shared his thoughts out loud.

Once they arrived at Kayleigh's new swanky address. John wandered whether it might be a good idea for him, to drive home across the motorway or to kip on Kayleigh's sofa instead.

"Here, we are, my humble abode." She put on a drunken posh accent.

"Luckily you're not meant to be in work tomorrow. I mean look at you, you'd certainly give that Shirley character off Eastenders a run for her money." John cheekily implied, while he was attempting to park his car outside her house.

"Oi, you cheeky bugger." She thought he was behaving rather rudely, comparing her to a Soap character, yet she knew he was mostly likely telling the truth.

"I might as well stay over at yours tonight." There were major roadworks on the outskirts and in and around Manchester itself that evening, which would no doubt delay his journey home furthermore.

"Alright, I don't see why not." She didn't seem to mind him staying over, just as long as he didn't leave her front living room in a mess, seeing as she wanted the place tidy for when she talks to Kelly via Skype in the living room.

"Bloody hell woman, you didn't seem to hesitate at all, when I asked you. What if I'd have been Olly Murs or that Mark the Chaser bloke off The Chase, you'd have probably said something different then."

"Aww I love Olly Murs and Mark off The Chase. You know, I've always wanted to be on there as a contestant and come up against him. I'd certainly give him what for." She announced just as she managed to get herself out from the passenger seat.

"Why did you dream that one of them, might have jumped out from a birthday cake to wish you Happy Birthday?" John asked her, reckoned that thought sounded a bit bollocks.

"Yes, in a nutshell." She answered in next to no time.

"Anyway you going to invite me or keep me glued to my seat, with your dream stories about those two fellas of the tv?" John asked.

"Why you jealous?" She asked him in response straight away.

"Pfft hardly" All John really had on his mind currently, was being tucked up under a duvet and getting his head down for an early night's sleep.

"Thanks for the lift, John."

"You've told me that three times now."

She gestured for him to follow her into the house.

"What's she up to now?" John carefully removed his seatbelt and made sure he locked his car before walking over to the front gate of her house.

"Why you trying to sneak me in?"

"I've got this nosy neighbour called Philip, everytime I get my shopping from Argos ordered, he keeps sticking his nose in where the sun don't shine. I think he thinks I'm trying to lure the delivery blokes into my house for a quickie."

"What a weirdo. Hope you told him to get himself a new hobby, preferably right away before some poor bugger catches his attention." John thoughtfully mentioned to her.

"No, I never thought of that. Anyway you better get inside before he pops up from behind his living room curtains." Kayleigh said, before finding the opportunity to usher her friend through into her house.

 _Lady Gaga's Born This Way plays as Kayleigh half staggers into the hallway of her house, just as a man in his mid fifties at the house opposite, stares out of his bedroom window. She ends up closing the door behind her._

 _My mama told me when I was young_  
 _We are all born superstars_  
 _She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on_  
 _In the glass of her boudoir_

 _"There's nothing wrong with loving who you are"_  
 _She said, "'Cause he made you perfect, babe"_  
 _"So hold your head up girl and you'll go far,_  
 _Listen to me when I say"_

 **End of Chapter**

 **Reviews are always welcome  
**


	2. Chapter 2

**Peter Kay's Car Share - 6 Chances  
**

 **Chapter 2**

Traffic on the motorway from Bury to Manchester was ridiculous, the next morning. Still John was feeling cheerful with good reason, seeing as he had managed to sleep like a log on Kayleigh's sofa. She'd treated him to a lovely breakfast consisting of two slices of Bacon and Sausages on Toast and a cup of coffee, much to his delight.

"The team's back together for one day only. Happy Days!" Kayleigh enthusiastically reminded the Supermarket Assistant manager, while he was driving.

"I know we're like The Stone Roses on one of their comeback gigs." John smiled to himself and towards his companion.

 _Forever FM, songs to rock to, to dance to and to romance that special someone in your life...forever and ever, forever and ever._

 _Scene cuts to; a packed Manchester bus station, with posters plastered at some of the bus stops, with the message of "Mrs Brown says What's Nice? instead of That's Nice for a change."  
_

Kayleigh turned the radio up, once she heard the DJ announcing he was playing Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and The Waves.

 _Ow_

 _Mm, yeah_  
 _I used to think maybe you loved me, now, baby, I'm sure_  
 _And I just can't wait till the day when you knock on my door_  
 _Now every time I go for the mailbox, gotta hold myself down_  
 _'Cause I just can't wait till you write me you're coming around_

 _Now I'm walking on sunshine, whoa_  
 _I'm walking on sunshine, whoa_  
 _I'm walking on sunshine, whoa_  
 _And don't it feel good_  
 _Hey, all right now_  
 _And don't it feel good_  
 _Hey, yeah._

John's face perked up excitedly, the moment he recognized what song was currently being played on the radio. "Oh I haven't heard this song in a long time. Katrina and The Waves I had a crush on Katrina, back in the day."

"Did you?" Kayleigh tried not to laugh nor wind him up because of his heartwarming bombshell.

"Oh yes, I had the posters of the group in my bedroom. I know they didn't do many songs but bloody hell I did love them as a group." John addressed his reasons for liking the Eurovision winning group.

"Really?, I would have you down as a New Romantics fan, you know Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, you weren't a fan of either of them were you, by any chance?"

"I was only 10 when they were hitting their peak in the charts. Christ I barely knew the lyrics to Hungry Like The Wolf at the time. Of course I know the lyrics now, thanks to Shazam."

"I bet you were thrilled when they won the Eurovision for the UK?"

"Oh absolutely." John responded with another relaxed smile. Lately he certainly felt glad of the fact, he had become capable of opening up more to her than anybody else.

 **xxxx**

"Kayleigh, what would you reckon is the best season, Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter?" John asked her.

"Oh Winter definitely because the weather's better and because of the Christmas staff party we get, so I've got a perfectly good reason to let my hair down and party all night long." Kayleigh happily announced in front of John, much to his obvious amusement.

"Yeah, you're a right partygoer, from what I've heard." John tried not to laugh too much regarding this matter. She was certainly someone, who enjoyed every moment of getting into the part spirit, once she had helped herself to a few drinks.

"I think I'm more of a legend at partying at staff dos, ask Maria off Entertainment, she'll pretty much tell you how many Christmas and Abba songs I've murdered."

"And here was me thinking of asking you to sing at my birthday party in two months time." John jokingly remarked. Well he had known this already, having heard one or two funny stories about her at the staff Christmas annual partly.

"Ha ha very funny." Kayleigh didn't look too bothered by his comment. He can say whatever he liked, as far as she was concerned. She was a bright and pretty and of course, she was free to do what any single lady did best. As Beyonce described in her hit single _"All the Single Ladies, all the single ladies, put your hands up",_ this had vastly become Kayleigh's motto since she went to see her in concert, a few months ago.

 _Scene cuts to: John's mini cooper driving along a long stretch of road, with a blue Fiat 500 and a VW Golf, currently in front of his car.  
_

Things soon fell quiet between the two of them, John honestly didn't know what else to talk about, it was as if his mind had awkwardly switched itself off altogether. Still in spite of everything, in fact he did feel like he was beginning to grow fond of Kayleigh, the more they discovered about each other.

It wasn't long before they arrived at work together and heads were turned, soon as Kayleigh stepped out of John's car. The hunky trolley guy was nowhere to be seen yet again, his unexplained absence then surprisingly went unnoticed by Kayleigh. - Personally she reckoned, he should go and flex his muscles and sweep the female customers off their feet as much as he wanted to. Well, like John, she too wasn't looking for love just yet and this felt like a perfect enough reason to give up on, her many attempts of trying to desperately gain his attention.

 **xxxx**

John chatted to Rachel, while Kayleigh watched on from afar, giving her the evil daggers. She was baffled to say the least, at seeing how John was remaining good friends with the horrible cow, after the threesome suggestion incident, a few weeks ago.

"Alright Rachel, I'll chat to you again sometime. Bye" John smiled back, he turned round and almost jumped out of his skin, soon as he acknowledged Kayleigh standing next to his Mini Cooper with a right face on her.

"Blimey, what's got up your goat today? Because you've got a face like a smacked arse right now."

She tried as best as possible to explain her reason for behaving slightly stroppy and annoyed, she didn't wish to see him getting caught up in an embarrassing position, no thanks to Princess Rachel.

"I don't want to see you actually getting tangled up in one of Rachel's performed fantasy scenarios this time, that's all."

"I'm not interested in being more than friends with Rachel. She's a lovely woman but she's far too perfect for me anyway. Anyway why you jealous or something? Well you must be seeing as you're always ready to scratch her eyes out, every time me and her get a chance to speak to each other." John found this extremely funny, so much so he burst out laughing at the thought of his suggestion possibly happening for real.

Kayleigh quietly denied being jealous. "Not jealous at all, think you could do better with someone who doesn't work at the same supermarket as you."

"Bollocks." John laughed to himself, he could tell from a mile off, she was willing to beat Rachel in a cat fight.

Soon enough, the two of them went their separate ways.

 _Oasis' Roll with It was now playing on the radio, as John drove past a nearby bus stop._

 _"You gotta roll with it_

 _You gotta take your time_

 _You gotta say what you say_

 _Don't let anybody get in your way_

 _Cause it's all too much for me to take."_

 _Scene cuts to: John looking thoughtful, maybe laughing and deliberately annoying her was a bit of an unreasonable thing to do.  
_

 _"Don't ever stand aside._

 _Don't ever be denied._

 _You wanna be who you'd be._

 _If you're coming with me._

 _I think I've got a feeling I've lost inside._

 _I think I'm gonna take me away and hide._

 _I'm thinking of things that I just can't abide."_

He came to his senses, as soon as he heard a knocking noise on the front passenger side window. Kayleigh had decided to get a last minute lift from him, the minute she spotted his car slowly careering alongside the bus stop, which she'd been stood at, for the last 10 minutes.

"What you doing singing along to an Oasis song to yourself for?" She asked him, on the other side of the sidecar window.

"Don't know. Do you want a lift from me then, into Manchester Piccadilly?"

"Yes" She gestured to him, that she needed rescuing from Ray off the Fishmongers, who was also occupying himself at the exact same bus stop as her.

"Oh bloody hell, get in quick. I don't want to go through another scary clash with him again." He quickly opened the passenger door for her and she blatantly dived onto the passenger seat, in hilarious fashion.

"I'll let Tom Daley, you're interested in becoming his diving partner for the Rio Olympics next year, shall I then?" John innocently remarked.

"No I'd rather be part of the Judo Women's team instead." So she claimed, John believed she only mentioned this because it was more wishful thinking on her behalf. It was not as if, she had a black belt under her name or anything.

"Why do you say that?" Nevertheless he asked her this, out of curiosity.

"Because I did Judo when I was younger, had to quit classes when I had Kieran." She briefly explained, while she wiggled and adjusted herself, into a sitting position in the passenger seat.

"Oh right." John looked nonchalantly as he began to understand her more properly than ever.

 _"I see ghosts, I see aliens, I see zombies, I see hit records. Every Friday night join the Forever FM at a venue near you. Find out on Friday morning's breakfast show, where the team will be this Friday night."  
_

"That radio advert makes no sense whatsoever. They're probably expecting listeners to dress up, as if it's Halloween every Friday night." Kayleigh looked somewhat perplexed by the radio ad.

"You're telling me" John agreed without any hesitation.

 **xxxx**

"Can you drop me off here, if that's okay?" She asked him, out of the blue. **  
**

"Don't tell me Psycho Raymondo's bloody latched himself on the back of my Mini Cooper?" He knew, this was probably unlikely to be true besides, given how the Fishmonger hadn't noticed him briefly parked at the bus stop.

"No, I just need to pop into the newsagents over the road, to get myself some bubblegum and a magazine ." She admitted.

 _Bubblegum, what the hell does she want to buy bubblegum for...no best not to ask her._

"Alright, I'll see where I can find a better parking spot seeing as Shrek's only gone and parked his car over here." What with a Land Rover Crusader taking most of the space on the left hand side of the busy street. John suggested trying to find a good spot to drop her off, further down the road.

"Muchas Gracias Jonathan."

"Eh?"

"Sorry, I've been taking one of those online Spanish courses on the BBC Learn Spanish website."

"What for?"

"Because I was bored and I thought it might help to teach me how to greet people I know, such as yourself, in Spanish."

"Unbelievable." John chuckled to himself. At first, he thought she was going a bit bonkers. Yet perhaps, knowing some Spanish phrases might actually come in handy for her, for when she goes on holiday.

Eventually he did succeed in locating a perfect spot to park and parked there before some moron got there instead.

Kayleigh went to get out from the car, just as John was keen to get something he needed to mention, off his chest as soon as possible . "Well, I'll see you tomorrow at work and you can have another one of your slagging off Rachel conversation with me, if you want. Don't worry I won't go and tell her, what you've been saying about her."

"Cheers John. Although I don't think I've run out of bad things to say about her. I'll see you tomorrow." She smiled back at him, as she closed the passenger side door.

John smiled and waved back at her, before he happily resumed his car journey.

 _Take That's These Days plays in the background before_ _the volume turns up on the song._

 _Take me back_  
 _Before we all explode_  
 _Before we turn to stone_  
 _Before the light is gone_  
 _Take me back_  
 _To where it all began_  
 _To where our memories grow_  
 _Before they take us over_

 _Tonight we gotta live for_  
 _We gotta live for these days_  
 _Tonight, tonight, we'll remember_  
 _We'll remember these days_

 **End of Chapter**

 **Reviews are always welcome  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Peter Kay's Car Share**

 **Chapter 3**

John was having another of his early morning conversations with his nan via his car's Bluetooth interface. He was casually reminding her "Remember your doctor's appointment is this morning at 10am and not tomorrow morning at 10am."

John's nan tried to divert their conversation onto other certain matters. "I haven't forgotten this time love. Anyway hadn't you better be going to work and thinking of ways to ask that lovely girl, you keep telling me about, out on a date."

John's cheeks started to blush very brightly, after that second comment, which she had suddenly referred to. He had briefly spoken about Kayleigh to his nan just the once and she seemed to have mistakenly picked up on John possibly seeing her as more than a friend and a supermarket staff member.

To avoid further embarrassment, John responded by letting her know that, he wasn't actually praying himself in a bid, to get his car started outside his house, while he was meant to be chatting to her. "I am at work...Well I'm almost there. Stuck in traffic as usual aren't I. The idiot in front of my car, won't let me past him."

"Don't you go getting yourself all in a bother because you're running late for work." She advised him, to keep a cool and calm about this minor matter.

"Alright I'll behave like a professional. I'll speak to you later nan then. Enjoy your shopping around town after you've been to the doctors. Bye." John felt immensely relieved once their chat had come to an end.

 _"It was the year Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States and the year where David Cameron and Nick Clegg formed a coalition government here in the UK. Also Germany won the Eurovision this year. Can you name the year?"  
_

For a moment John tried to reflect over which year, the questions were related to. Before reminiscing of the delightful time when he was given the Assistant Manager's job. This happy memory certainly managed to help him to answer the Forever FM DJ's question. "I know... it's 2010, the year I became Supermarket Assistant Manager and Dave Thompson got food poisoning, the day after my birthday party."

 _Scene cut to: John's car driving down a long stretch of road. A local amateur football team are shown, having a kick about, on one of the playing fields.  
_

John's phone surprisingly started to ring out, whilst he was driving the car. Of course, he could hardly see the name of the caller, as his eyes were focused on the road ahead. So he decisively pressed his middle finger down on the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Mister Redmond, it's Cilla here, just ringing you to say Surprise Surprise!"

Kayleigh is that you?"

"Kayleigh? who's she when she's at home? A Kylie Minogue lookalike"

John could tell it was Kayleigh was messing round with him. Still he therefore decided to play along with her little game of charade.

"So tell me Cilla, how did you happen to get my number, so you could ring me up for a Surprise Surprise?"

He wasn't surprised whatsoever, when he soon heard familiar giggling in the background on the phone, which pretty much confirmed his early he did start find some of what was said, particularly amusing.

"Sorry John, I couldn't resist impersonating Cilla Black." She then revealed part of her reason for pretending to be the former presenter of Surprise Surprise.

"That's not a bad impression you made, you know." John considered to be the case. He thought she should contemplate a career in Comedy, if she wanted to go on the likes of Britain's Got Talent to audition.

"Really? Oh thanks Jonathan, you're a star." She sounded rather happy, after he praised her for her very good impression.

"Kayleigh, why did you ring me up?"

"I just wanted a chat, while I'm still stuck on the tram."

"You're still stuck on the tram, getting into work?"

"Yeah."

"Where about are you?"

"Just by our sister supermarket three miles away."

John mouthed the word _"sister"_ to himself, he wondered why she used that word term to describe, the supermarket just across town. It was managed by a man named Barry Fogarty, who looked the spitting image of Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet.

"John you still there?"

"Yes...I'm here just about."

Without knowing it at first, John had only just been commuting down the road, from where the tram was. As soon as he saw Kayleigh he gave her a friendly wave.

"Feels funny doesn't it, waving at the person you're still talking to on the phone." Kayleigh smiled to herself, especially at the exact moment John had spotted her on the tram.

"Probably best, if I give you a lift into work then." John felt she deserved a lift into work, seeing as she was already running late enough as it is.

"I'd really appreciate that." She smiled.

 **xxxx**

 _Lionel Richie's Dancing on the Ceiling was currently being played on Forever FM, much to Kayleigh's clear happiness._

 _"What is happening here?_  
 _Something is going on_  
 _That's not quite clear_  
 _Somebody turn on the light_  
 _We're gonna have a party_  
 _It's starting tonight_

 _Oh, what a feeling!_  
 _When we're dancing on the ceiling_  
 _The room is hot...that's good_  
 _Some of my friends came_  
 _By from the neighbourhood_  
 _People were starting_  
 _To climb the walls_  
 _Ooh, it looks like everybody_  
 _Is having a ball"_

Kayleigh had a not surprising confession to make, while she looked quite thoughtful. "I love listening to a bit of Lionel Richie on the radio at work. Posh Samantha from Customer Service, well she's a big fan of his and she's always dropped hints of taking some of the staff to one of his UK tour gigs."

"Bloody hell, how much is she on? She must be minted, what with putting in those amount of hours in throughout the week." John nearly

She soon snapped out of her daydreaming thoughts and soon addressed the matter of why John didn't know what amount of money, Samantha from Customer Service was getting for her paid overtime work. "Why are you asking me? Besides, wouldn't you know already, how much she's getting paid for doing shift work over the last fortnight."

"No, Dave Thompson's the only one who knows. Smarmy bastard." He shared his thoughts out loud.

"So you and him have had some sort of managers tiff between the both of you?" She tried to get to the bottom of why John wasn't apparently getting along with his boss.

"Well, that's one way to describe it." John hinted to her.

Kayleigh nodded her head understandingly. She couldn't blame him for feeling a bit pissed off.

 _"My name's Alan I'm 30 years old and I'm looking to give up smoking. I'm looking to find the right Nicotine Patch for me, to stop me from smoking again...Well Alan, we'd love you to try our newest NiQuitin patches."  
_

"I could do with having a holiday soon, maybe I could visit Kelly in Australia for a few weeks." She felt she deserved a good holiday, whenever she got the chance to book one. She had always liked to visit Australia, so believed this was the perfect holiday to go on.

"Bit far to travel for you isn't it?" John asked her.

"Well, I'm not going to very well buy myself a time traveling machine or gain superhero powers am I, in order to visit her now." She giggled to herself, once she found the funnier side of their conversation.

"That's a shame, as here was me thinking, you were putting your name forward to be the next person to play Doctor Who." John laughed himself as well.

"Aww I like Doctor Who. David Tennant's always been my favourite Doctor." She definitely wasn't afraid to admit this, John seemed pretty impressed about her sudden Doctor Who revelation.

 **xxx**

John eventually drove himself and Kayleigh into the supermarket's car park, 20 minutes later. He was running at least 5 minutes late for a recruitment meeting with Brian Jones, head of recruitment and Susanne Smith, head of training. Sometimes he cheekily nicknamed the both of them _"Smith and Jones"._ He dashed off quickly, clutching a bulky folder and an A4 notepad, in his left hand.

Kayleigh followed on, not far behind him. By chance, she glanced over to where young Ted was currently drinking a bottle of Lucozade. That morning, surprisingly enough he wasn't actually wearing his traditional yellow high-visibility jacket. Instead, he was sporting a black vest and a brushed checkered shirt. She considered going over to talk to him, with the intention of getting to hopefully uncover his first name at long last.

She hoped he had a name like Rodrigo or Daniel. Then again, she decided not to take the plunge too early with him, in case if he were to mistaken her as a Fifty Shades of Grey obsessive looking for her Christian Grey type ideal boyfriend.

Later that day, Kayleigh was chatting to Kelly on her phone. She was keeping her up-to-date with the latest gossip at work.

"I think I might have one of the best days at work ever. Do you remember me telling you about Marie and Angela, who work with me...yeah...well guess who spent most of the day, looking like they wanted to tear each other's hairs out and ended up doing so after lunchtime. Oh yes...it's a wonder the two of them, haven't been sacked. Then I found I'm getting a pay rise, just in time for Christmas. Do you know, what I think, someone's really appreciating the fact, that I'm working harder than my colleagues." This thought suddenly crossed her mind, she may have gotten herself an admirer, hopefully he wasn't a show-off.

 **xxxx**

John joined Kayleigh in the car park and had some juicy gossip to share with her, from the morning meeting he'd attended. _John's car radio was playing The Housemartins' Happy Hour while they were chatting._

 _It's happy hour again_  
 _I think I might be happy if I wasn't out with them_  
 _And they're happy it's a lovely place to be_  
 _Happy that the fire is real the barman is a she_

 _Where the haircuts smile_  
 _And the meaning of style_  
 _Is a night out with the bass_  
 _Where you win or you lose_  
 _And its them who choose_  
 _And if you don't win then you've lost_

 _What a good place to be_  
 _Don't believe it_  
 _'Cause they speak a different language_  
 _And it's never really happened to me_  
 _{It's happy hour again}_  
 _Don't believe it_  
 _'Cause they speak a different language_  
 _And it's never really happened to me_  
 _{It's happy hour again}_

"Why've you got a face like a excited dolphin, all of a sudden?" Kayleigh asked soon as she spotted him making his way towards her.

"An excited dolphin? You cheeky woman...anyway I probably should be asking you the same thing. Have you finally struck gold with young Ted?" John asked, who started to behave slightly curious.

"Not got my chance yet. Can't believe I'm getting a pay rise, just in time for Christmas." Kayleigh simply couldn't stop smiling at the thought of getting to splash out extra money on presents for her family.

"Really, lucky you." John knowingly smiled to himself.

"Best news ever..." She performed a brief Beyonce dance, in front of a tickled John.

"It wasn't just you got a pay rise Kayleigh, Marie got one too. So did Katy off Warehouse." John blurted out about the other pay rise earners amongst the Supermarket's staff.

"No wonder Angela was giving her the evils this morning, when I walked by the self-service tills." Kayleigh notified him about the tension between her two colleagues, she'd picked up on.

"Don't know what those two are playing at. They better watch, they don't start getting themselves a bad reputation, especially with the way they're both carrying on." John was seriously expecting World War Three to kick off anytime soon, every time those two were around each other.

"Point taken. If, you ask me, I reckon the two of them should fight it out in one of those steel cages they use for Cage Fighting" She gave an agreeable nod and then took the opportunity of suggesting of where the two ladies should perhaps settle their differences.

"I'm not sure that would be appropriate for the two of them. Well come to think of it, it might do Angela the world of good, seeing as she's got a black belt." From nowhere, John gave away a surprising revelation about Angela Schofield.

"Oh and how do you know that, by the way?" Kayleigh asked him.

"She put it down on her CV, why how else did you think I knew about her black belt? From mine and hers secret martial arts club" John teased her, knowing all too well, Kayleigh would respond with one of her jealous looks.

"One is not amused Jonathan." She informed him in a playful manner, walking away with a naughty smirk across her lips.

John was none the wiser to her mischievousness. It was really hard to tell with him.

Although he did have a brief chuckle as he got into his car.

* * *

 **End of Chapter**

 **Reviews are always welcome  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Peter Kay's Car Share**

 **Chapter 4- John's Birthday Part 1  
**

"A little Birdie told me, it's your birthday today."

"Oh yes, it's the big one for me, the big 4-0."

"What 4 nil?"

"No what you on about?... It's nothing to do with football scores Kayleigh." He glanced down at her name, seeing it was displayed on John's In-Car Computer.

"Sorry, I keep get zero and nil mixed up all the time. I found Kieran's Fifa 12 game in his bedroom. One thing lead to another and I started playing it, as soon as I scored an own goal and then a penalty on it, I only end up getting proper addicted to it. Well, you must know what it's like having an addiction John, with certain things."

"I hope you don't mean cigarettes, I'll have you know, I gave up on them 18 months ago." John thought she was behaving like a cheeky mare after she suggested this.

"Aww well done you. That's a good achievement."

"Thanks, anyway where are you?" He could hardly hear any possible noisy commuters on her side of the phone.

"I'm at work." Unbeknownst to John, she actually had a good enough reason for turning up earlier than the rest of the supermarket staff.

"What? already." John looked instantly surprised, once Kayleigh had owned up to the fact, she was having a sneaky cigarette and how she was now obviously bored while hanging around at work, over 40 minutes early before her 8 hour shift was due to start.

"And before you ask, I didn't get here by a jet pack. I got a lift from my next door neighbour Pamela, turns out she works at B&Q down the road." She thought she should reveal how she got into work that morning before he started jumping to conclusions - Now she had sort of half let the cat out of the bag. Knowing him, she reckoned he would still be assuming Young Ted had handsomely come to her rescue instead.

"Does she now?" John wasn't quite sure on what to say or whether to make a joke out of the thought of Kayleigh having someone giving her a lift into work.

"And before you ask, I've given up on any chance of snogging Ted II." She informed him.

"Ted II? Christ, is his ancestors Richard I, II and III by the way?" John honestly tried his best, at not laughing out loud especially at some of unintelligent stuff, she was coming out with.

"No, as far as I know." She couldn't really answer his question at all. She was pretty sure, Pamela's noisy radio had left a bit deaf in the right ear.

Obviously John didn't know this yet.

"Anyway I'm almost there, I'll see you in five minutes then Kayleigh...Kayleigh?" When she didn't answer, he wondered whether, she'd forgotten how she was still meant to be talking to him on her phone.

"Alright...Alright keep your hair on, I was just trying to adjust my bra strap." She finally spoke after a few minutes.

 **xxxx**

John looked rather chuffed, once he left work later that day. Dave Thompson of all people, had even managed to rally the Admin staff round and asked them to sign John's birthday card and to put money forward for making sure, he was treated him to a nice night out. For once, he was quite touched by his colleague's gesture and because of the fact, he was acting like a cheeky bastard like he always had the habit of doing.

Kayleigh had kindly bought him a novelty "Mr Hot Stuff here, Looking good for 40 t-shirt. She'd tried talking him into wearing the t-shirt for special occasions, at first he hadn't really wanted to wear it however seeing as Kayleigh had bought it for him, he felt he probably should wear it afterall.

"Bet you were speechless, when Dave Thompson sprung that surprise on you, once you stepped foot onto the shop floor."

"I know, nearly gave me a heart attack he did, once he started shouting _John Redmond can you come to the Bakery section!._ I tell you this Kayleigh, Dave's got a bloody voice like a foghorn. It's a wonder, how I've been able to put up with working alongside him for so long. _"_ John joked with her about the funnier side of his working relationship with the Supermarket boss. _  
_

"I'm not surprised you haven't giving him a dressing down in the past, if it was me, I know I would have definitely done." She was so in her stride, particularly by the way she was addressing the situation with John's boss.

"Oooh get you, you're talking like, you want to fill my boots." John chuckled, finding her tough girly talk rather amusing to listen to.

"I'm only telling things as I see them." She gave a wry but pleasant smile, the moment she soon picked up on his all too familiar laughter.

John's eyes did a quick glance at his watch, seeking the time out.

"I've gotta go home and then to my mum's house. I'll see you later at my birthday do at the Grafton Arms."

"See you later John."

John quickly drove off, leaving Kayleigh looking thoughtful.

 **xxxx**

"Sorry you can't make it to my birthday party tonight Nana. Promise me, you'll rest that leg of yours." John was speaking to his nan, who had to cancel coming to his 40 birthday party because she had gone and knocked her left leg during a last minute shop around in Iceland.

"Don't you go worrying about me love. You go and enjoy yourself tonight. Make sure, your mother doesn't end up getting herself legless in front of your friends from work."

"No, I'll be doing my best to keep her well away from the drinks bar, whatever it takes to stop her, from singing a rendition of 9 to 5." John's mother was certainly a popular person amongst her friends from the Zumba classes, which she attended.

"Oh I better go, Roger from next door's is outside in his front garden, off his rocker as usual."

"Alright Nana, thanks for the card again. I'll talk to you tomorrow, bye." John suddenly smiled at the thought of his nan flicking the v sign with her fingers, at her annoying next door neighbour. He started to recline his shoulders back easily in the driver's seat for a few moments before remembering he had to get the car going sooner or later, otherwise he'd be running late for his own party. Forever FM played Black Eyed Peas Let's Get it Started Here, as John drove to the end of his street, which was brightly lit with two street lamps either side of each other.

 _Everybody (yeah), everybody (yeah), let's get into it (yeah), get stupid (c'mon)_  
 _Get it started (c'mon), get it started (yeah), get it started!_  
 _Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here._  
 _Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here._  
 _Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here._  
 _Let's get it started (ha), let's get it started in here._  
 _Yeah._

 _Lose control, of body and soul._  
 _Don't move too fast, people, just take it slow._  
 _Don't get ahead, just jump into it._  
 _You all hear about it, the Peas'll do it._  
 _Get started, get stupid._  
 _You'll want me body people will walk you through it._  
 _Step by step, like an infant new kid._  
 _Inch by inch with the new solution._  
 _Transmit hits, with no delusion._  
 _The feeling's irresistible and that's how we movin'._  
 _(Yo)_

John was feeling admittedly nervous about what sort of party, the Supermarket staff and his colleagues had thrown on for him or shenanigans some of them might resort to, if and when they may get themselves drunk. Kayleigh herself, was on a no alcohol diet, which was the exact way of how she had described it to him, earlier that day. John hoped she will stick to the normal refreshments.

 **xxxx**

John's mum, mid 50's and looking very healthy and proactive for her age, was now sitting alongside him in the car. She was dressed up well, wearing a purple sparkly dress, like an actress attending a film premiere. She clutched a silver handbag in her right hand and a wrapped present in her left hand. It was John's present, which he was yet to receive from her.

"Thought you might have a better effort love. I mean it's been your birthday all day and look what you come as to your party this evening, looking like that Michael McIntyre bloke off the telly." She laughed, expressing some thoughtfulness at the same time.

"Give over, I look nothing like Michael McIntyre, mum. He acts more like the Duracell bunny than me." John couldn't quite believe his own mother was comparing him to a comedian, who he didn't find funny.

"Can't wait for you, to introduce me to your friend Kayleigh from work. I bet she's a right chatterbox." John's mum assumed. Sometimes she had a natural flair of being correct about people she hadn't met before or questions put forward to contestants on Pointless, which was her favourite tv quiz show.

"Hope you're not think what Nana's been thinking, that I fancy Kayleigh." John had just about enough of his Nan's attempted interference in his non-existent love life.

"Well do you?" She asked him.

"Ye... No, No...we're just friends. I think she probably sees me more as her big teddy bear friend, you know, like the one off that Ted film."

 _Just looking for a new direction_  
 _In an old familiar way_  
 _The forming of a new connection_  
 _To study or to play_

 _And so the conversation turned_  
 _Until the sun went down_  
 _And many fantasies were learned_  
 _On that day_

 _Keep feeling fascination_  
 _Passion burning_  
 _Love so strong_  
 _Keep feeling fascination_  
 _Looking, learning_  
 _Moving on_

John's mum cheerfully burst out with cries of laughter at the thought of her son liken himself to a foul mouthed teddy bear film character.

He too, was tempted to laugh regarding this comparison but resisted the temptation of doing so, at the last minute.

The nighttime views of Manchester were rather spectacular, to say the least. John felt uncomfortable about commuting during the dark evenings, especially around October up until Christmas.

"Hope you're not planning on getting yourself drunk John tonight." His mum gave a quizzical look whilst questioning him over this.

"No chance of that happening...unless Rita Ora walks into my party, then that will be a different story." John's cheeky side shone through, as he happily responded to the question, his mum asked him.

John soon arrived at the Grafton venue, where his party was that evening.

 **xxxx**

John surprisingly found himself alone, outside of the venue. He'd cut down on cigarettes but still felt the need to get a bit of fresh air. He left his mum to boogie on down, one way she liked to describe her love of dancing. From John's viewpoint, he was able to see into the dance hall room and acknowledge his mother currently swaying and moving her shoulders back and forth to Respectable by Mel and Kim. She was quite a marvelous dancer for her age, knowing every dance move apart from Head Spinning.

 _We ain't ever gonna be respectable._  
 _Like us_  
 _hate us_  
 _but you'll never change us_

 _We ain't ever gonna be respectable._

 _Hesitation is iust frustration_

 _give us the music and we're all right._  
 _On each occasion_  
 _for your information_

 _we can look after ourselves all right._  
 _Take or leave us_  
 _only please believe us_

"Mind, if I join you?" Kayleigh was there to keep him company, which put a much needed smile on his face. She had stuck to her work and remained sober.

"Thanks Kayleigh. What a cheeky bastard Dave Thompson's brother is, he nicked mini sausage rolls off my paper plate." He appreciated after a so far awkward yet underrated evening at the Grafton.

"You know, he did the same thing with me. Helped himself to one of my glasses of pink lemonade." Kayleigh shared her views of Gavin Thompson with John.

"He must have a bloody appetite like Shrek." The Supermarket Assistant manager jokingly implied, curious to know whether this was very obvious or not.

"Exactly." She nodded her head, agreeing with what John hand-on-heart, genuinely believed.

"Party's not as cheerful as I thought it might be. Dave's making excuses to gain more customers to out store. I told him, to give it a rest for one night only, he promised he would and look what's happened now, he's slipping in mentions about our store."

"How do you know that?"

"Body Language, Kayleigh. The man's a liar anyway."

"Ooh get you being all Derren Brown."

"Still at least, the daft bugger gave me a chance to say a few words at...my own party. I hope he isn't expecting me to do him a favour for when he celebrates his 50th in three months."

Kayleigh giggled quietly and soon remembered a similar story, which happened to her, over five years ago.

"I was guilty of showing off at our Kieran's 16th birthday party. I must have talked for hours and hours. It was no wonder, nobody had anything to say to me afterwards." She revealed, as she reminisced about that previous occasion.

"Well you do have the knack, for going on longer than the Eurovision and the Oscars combined together." John hinted the obvious.

"Oh! thank you very much, what a rude and cheeky thing to say to a woman, when she's feeling upbeat and ready to party all night long." Kayleigh threw a fake strop in front of him. Of course she had pretty much twigged that he only said this, so they would get into the routine of having a laugh and cheering each other up successfully.

"Hang on a minute...I think you know, as well as I know, you've got the gift of the gab. I was only saying, what I'm thinking when I listen to you, talking about your Kieran. I meant no offense whatsoever. So am I forgiven?" John protested his innocence, which made things more fun for Kayleigh.

"Don't be silly, of course you're forgiven." She smiled. She was becoming aware of the fact, they were fooling around with one another in a rather playful manner, which did surprise her upon acknowledging this.

 **End of Chapter**

 **I welcome all reviews.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Peter Kay's Car Share**

 **Chapter 4- John's Birthday Part 2  
**

"You know I miss this, you and me having a right laugh, about anything that's worth talking about. I should have said but thanks for that Now 48 album. I've been glued to listening to that, than those adverts on Forever FM." John started to open up more to Kayleigh, once he begun to reminisce about the good times they shared together during their car share adventures.

"I don't know what to say or whether give you a hug or not. Mind you, I probably shouldn't right now because I've got cake crumbs on my jacket." She felt rather touched by his unexpected confession.

John gave a sneaky smile, behind her back. He'd come to realize just how much of an honest and caring friend, she had become to him.

The birthday party was still getting into full swing, as loud cheers and laughter could be heard, coming from the main hallway inside the building.

"You don't fancy going to McDonalds do you Kayleigh? At least, me and you would get some peace and quiet from my mother and the Supermarket staff." John asked her. Well, he did fancy grabbing a takeaway from there anyway, given that he was still starving.

"What about your mum?" Kayleigh wasn't so sure this was such a good idea.

"We'll only be over the road, for what..." John's eyes did a double take with the current time on his watch. "15-20 minutes, come on...no one will know will notice, where we've gone because they'll probably be too pissed to notice."

McDonalds was too tempting to avoid, besides John hadn't actually preferred some of the food during the evening. Sausages and chips covered in mustard and mayonnaise plus Prawns on sticks drenched in a watery tomato dip. What sort of party meal was that? he asked him. Sure, he wasn't the best person to judge and taste a mouthful of food but he certainly knew when certain food tasted horrible.

The two of them eventually headed off to McDonalds, a few minutes later.

 **xxxx**

Kayleigh was slurping on her strawberry milkshake, as she waited for John outside the food retail chain. She felt like a teenager again, on an outing treat to McDonalds. Good grief, he was certainly taking far too long to order his food alright. She glanced over the road, at the Grafton building. She lost count straight away, of how many people, she seen helping themselves to crafty fags.

Once John was done buying his food, he joined her outside. "Nothing like a great meal, a cheeseburger, a Smarties McFlurry and fries." He happily announced.

"I think I'm starting to come down with brain freeze." Kayleigh said, all of a sudden. This left John somewhat confused by what she meant. She removed the straw away from her mouth and then helped herself to the bar of Apple Pie which she bought.

"I'm not surprised, you've been slurping your milkshake, as if you're competing in the Olympics or something." John half smiled.

Around 9:30pm, John and Kayleigh were now sitting at one of the tables together. They watched his mum Doreen, dancing with one of the older men there. John's eyes constantly darted back and forth between his mum and her male admirer then to Kayleigh, mostly when she wasn't looking at him. They hadn't spoken for over 20 minutes, as Kayleigh had enjoyed a glass of rum and coke behind John's back.

 _(Ha-ha-ha, ha-ah-hi)_  
 _(Ha-ha-ha, ha-ah-hi)_

 _So true_  
 _Funny how it seems_  
 _Always in time, but never in line for dreams_  
 _Head over heels when toe to toe_  
 _This is the sound of my soul_  
 _This is the sound_

 _I bought a ticket to the world_  
 _But now I've come back again_  
 _Why do I find it hard to write the next line?_  
 _Oh, I want the truth to be said_

"You never told me, that you mum's a great dancer." She was the first to speak once again between the both of them. "Look, I don't want us to fall out on your birthday because my slip up." She tried to

"I know, I don't want us to either. I've already moaned enough this evening and probably bored a lot of people."

"Well, you haven't bored me. Come on, let's have a dance together, to help turn that frown of yours upside down." She insisted of them improving their uneventful evening, by participating in a bit of dancing, party dancing or the posh-poshy way of dancing, like they do on Strictly Come Dancing. She didn't mind either way to be honest.

"Really you want me to dance with you?" John couldn't quite believe she actually wanted to dance with him.

"Yes... now come on, before I end up asking some poor lonely bloke for a dance instead." Kayleigh gestured for him to stop pulling faces and for him to get up from his chair pronto, before she happened to change her mind and set her sights elsewhere.

"Alright fine, but I've gotta warn you, I like adding a twirl and doing shoulder shimmying when I'm dancing." John admitted to liking a few particular dance moves while partying at a New Year's Eve party.

"Seriously? I never would have guessed, you enjoyed dancing like there's no tomorrow." Kayleigh was trying to get her head around, the perfect image of her friend bopping about, on the dance floor.

"Oh yeah. I wanted to be like Bez from the Happy Mondays. I practiced every weekend, my mum thought I was raving mad. When I left school, she got me a Saturday day job at the Swimming Baths." John explained to her. He hadn't let slip about his once boyhood dream before because he felt it may have resulted in embarrassment for him.

"Woo! look at you Jonathan, shake those hips and strut your stuff Mister." Kayleigh began to encourage to showcase a few good moves.

KC and The Sunshine Band's Get Down Tonight played in the background whilst John and Kayleigh both danced around each other.

"I should the same about you too. I bet, you get plenty of admirers, when you're dancing in nightclubs." John asked, with a look of keenness written all over him.

"One or two, doesn't bother me if they notice me or not. I'm just partying because Kayleigh says sooo!" She did a rock gesture with both of her hands.

"You know what you are?...You're a feisty radical Kayleigh." John highlighted one strong point about her.

"Why, thank you very much for telling me Jonathan." She gladly gave him a peck on the cheek and soon sensed his rosy cheeks. She found this rather sweet and adorable to see.

"Do I detect a hint of shyness?" She asked him, without any hesitation whatsoever.

"Yeah, because of my mum's watching the both of us. No doubt she's eyeing you up as a future daughter in law." John leaned over towards her and soon whispered, what certain thoughts he believed his mum probably had in mind about right there and then.

Kayleigh turned around and acknowledged the middle aged woman, who was currently staring back with her hands clasped together.

"Aww bless her. If her and my grandad ever met each other, they'd both definitely get along like a house on fire." Kayleigh was beginning to consider the possibility of introducing John's mother to her lonely grandad.

"What you going about?" John couldn't hear her properly because some silly idiot had now turned the music's volume up.

"Never mind." She didn't wish to repeat herself, in case someone happen to overhear whatever she was discussing with John.

 **xxxx**

John looked absolutely knackered, by the time he got into his car. Although he wasn't actually drunk, he was clearly he was in no fit in state to drive. Neither was Kayleigh, so John's mum's new male admirer out of nowhere, kindly offered to drive the three of them home. Although John wasn't exactly pleased because of the fact, he was being chauffeured home.

In a bid, to cure their boredom and to quietly entertain each other, Kayleigh and John invented a game called _"Guess the Famous Person's face"._ John was doing pretty good with it, seeing as she was a bit rubbish at pulling a celebrity face. The first one he got right was Dot Cotton from Eastenders. The first one she tried to guess, she kept getting wrong, the answer was John Prescott.

From anyone's point of view even from Bob, Doreen's friend point of view, the two of them were certainly behaving like mischievous school children especially given that, Kayleigh was naughtily acting like the main troublemaker between the both of them.

"Can't believe you didn't get that John Prescott one right."

"Was that really John Prescott? and here was me, thinking it was Mohammad Ali in his heyday ."

John and Bob both exchanged surprised looks, shortly after she'd made this remark.

"How can you get a younger Ali and John Prescott mixed up because of what faces they like to pull? Prezza's got a face like a bulldog, so have I, when I've got a moody face on me. I don't see how you thought it was Ali." Whilst attempting to fully understand just how mistaken Kayleigh was, he explained this correctly, in full yet simple terms how he shared similar looks to the former Deputy Prime Minister.

"Well, if you were like him, you'd hate that Tub Thumping song by Chumbawamba." She reckoned, he was getting way too carried away with proving her wrong. So she tried to suggest maybe he, like the politician hated the song Tub Thumping.

"Fair point..." Her sudden accuracy soon started to make John wonder whether she was in fact, a bit smarter than she looks.

"Is this your house, Kayleigh love?" Bob called to her, which brought an end to their conversation. She pressed her nose against the passenger window, once she knew Bob had parked John's car outside her house, she agreeably nodded her head.

"I believe so." She confirmed.

 _A girl consumed by fire_  
 _We all know her desire_  
 _From the plans that she has made_  
 _I have her on a promise_  
 _Immerse me in your splendor_  
 _All the plans that i have made_

 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_

 _She's waited for_

 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_  
 _This is the one_  
 _Oh this is the one_

She almost knocked John off his seat, once the passenger door was unlocked for her. "You're like an overexcited, hyperactive tiger, woman. Hungry for her next Prey."

For some reason, Bob shot him a _"That's not how to treat a woman."_ look. John quickly picked up on this certain look and realized Bob wasn't his biggest fan at the moment, after he had inconveniently blurted out this silly comment.

John gave a stressed sigh and got out of his side of the car, then ran round to her side of the car before lastly opening the door for her.

"Come on, let me walk you up to your door. Christ, I might even have to carry you into your house before long." John felt this might turn out to be the case soon enough.

"Why are you dropping a hint, that you'd like to reenact the scene from An Officer and A Gentleman with me?" She conveyed a knowing smirk, as soon as her two feet stepped onto the wet pavement.

"You don't half talk a load of bollocks Kayleigh."

"Yeah and you don't half talk like a grumpy ape."

"Alright, steady on. No need to resort to childish insults like one of the Loose Women off the tv. Look, at least let me make sure, you're not going to end up falling asleep in your front garden."

It took more than 10 minutes to, eventually manage to get her inside the house and then another 20 minutes to make sure she was asleep. To tell the truth, he felt like conking out on her sofa soon after he carefully walked her up to her bedroom and lifted her into her bed.

John soon quietly left her house, a few minutes later. Doreen was snoring loudly in the car, from what he could tell, the exact moment he stepped nearer to the Mini. He was surprised to see how Bob hadn't done a predictable runner and was instead still surprisingly sitting in the driver's seat.

"You obviously like her John, your mother told me by the way." Bob started to quiz the young man, who he had only just met that very evening.

"Yeah, knowing my mum I'm betting she's told everyone at my birthday party. I'm surprised, she hasn't Kayleigh herself. Gossiping is one of her hobbies alright, she could win a gold medal for it at the Olympics, if they decided to introduce it as a sport." John suggested, in an amusing manner.

"I'm just telling you now, you should give it a shot with Kayleigh before some younger bloke barges his way into her life." Bob was beginning to give the funny enough impression, he had played Cupid to a lot of people he had met.

"I bloody doubt she'd think of me, as being more than just her friend." John was less optimistic, on the matter of the likelihood of him being more honest and genuine about the way he felt about her.

"Just give it a thought." Bob recommended. John got back in the car and within seconds he looked more thoughtful than usual. His composure changed for the better as he came to accept what Bob had told. Soon enough, he seemed back to his normal self, expressing a cheerful smile. Perhaps his mum's Mr Know-It-All friend had proved him right.

 _I drew the smile upon my face_  
 _I paved the road that would one day leave me lonely_  
 _No angel's too good to fall from grace_  
 _If she let's go of whatever keeps her holy_

 _But I'm still here holding on so tight_  
 _To everything that I left behind_  
 _I don't care if the world is mine_  
 _Cause this is all I know_

 _When I get my back up against the wall_  
 _Don't need no-one to rescue me_  
 _Cause I ain't waiting up for no miracle_  
 _Yeah tonight I'm running free_  
 _Into the Blue_  
 _Into the Blue_  
 _With nothing to lose_  
 _Into the Blue_

 **End of Chapter**

 **I welcome all reviews  
**


End file.
